LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Perhaps Ryan Seacrest said it best at the top of the `` American Idol '' Tuesday night when describing Adam Lambert and Kris Allen , the show 's final two contestants .

In this corner : Kris Allen , the guy next door .

`` It is the battle of the acoustic rocker versus the glam rocker . Conway -LRB- Arkansas -RRB- versus California . The guy next door versus the guy-liner . ''

After three performances apiece and plenty of judge feedback , it seems that the Southern California glam-rocker Adam Lambert has the edge -- but it did n't look that way early in Tuesday 's show .

In the first round , where the contestants chose a song from a favorite past performance this season , Simon Cowell declared Kris Allen the winner after his rendition of `` Ai n't No Sunshine '' on piano . Watch Allen and Lambert talk after the show ''

Lambert chose to sing `` Mad World '' while wearing a long black coat and walking around a stage filled with white smoke , all of which Cowell found `` over-theatrical . ''

`` I think ` Mad World ' is kind of symbolic , '' Lambert told reporters after the show . `` It talks about people who do n't feel like they fit in . ''

Round two featured a tune hand-picked by `` American Idol '' creator Simon Fuller , where Lambert ditched the black overcoat and belted out Sam Cooke 's `` A Change Is Gon na Come '' while sporting a shiny silver suit . Paula Abdul told Lambert `` it was the best I 've ever heard you sing , ever ! ''

Allen 's feedback after singing Marvin Gaye 's classic `` What 's Goin ' On '' in the second round was much less flattering . See the best and worst performances from season eight ''

`` I thought it was too laid back for a night like this , '' said Cowell . He then gave round two to Lambert .

Round three featured a bit of a twist -- both contestants had to sing a song co-written by judge Kara DioGuardi called `` No Boundaries . ''

Lambert went first and had little difficulty with the ballad . Cowell told the 27-year-old afterward that `` you have been one of the best , most original contestants we 've ever had on the show . ''

Allen , however , struggled to stay in tune during the entire performance ... but the judges were less harsh this time .

`` You have thoroughly , thoroughly deserved to be standing on that stage tonight , congratulations , '' said Cowell . Watch anchors debate `` Idol '' finalists ''

After the show , Lambert told reporters that they did not have a lot of time to work on `` No Boundaries '' and it was kind of a `` rush job . ''

`` There was a lot of lyric , and it was a big song , '' said Lambert . `` But it 's a beautiful song . ''

It almost seems appropriate that these two are facing off in the finale . According to Allen , he and Lambert were once roommates during the competition . They even critique each other 's rehearsals .

`` He 's always giving me stuff to change about mine ... to make it better , '' Allen told reporters . iReport.com : Who should win : Kris or Adam ?

A little over an hour before the show began , a magnitude 4.0 quake aftershock hit 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles . Tuesday night 's telecast was held at the Nokia Theater , which is in downtown Los Angeles . A 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck the area shortly before 8:40 p.m. Sunday .

But , to Allen 's disappointment , neither of the contestants felt the jolt Tuesday .

`` I was totally upset , too , because I 've never been to California -LRB- except for ` American Idol ' -RRB- , and I was like , ' I want to feel an earthquake . ' ''

Allen and Lambert will return to the stage Wednesday night and find out , along with the rest of the world , who will be crowned the next `` American Idol '' at the two-hour finale .

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Final two `` American Idol '' contestants battle it out in song for the title Tuesday

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Californian Adam Lambert has developed a glam-rock persona

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Arkansas resident Kris Allen has a guy-next-door appeal

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Who will America choose ? Results show starts at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday